Beware the Ides of March

Dave Rosenthal

Today is the Ideas of March, a day oft-cited as filled with grim portent.

The day's ominous nature is drawn from the words of a soothsayer in Act 1, Scene II of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar." It's a rather obvious bit of foreshadowing. We all know that the mighty Caesar comes to a brutal end, at knifepoint, in 44 B.C.

These days, the biggest danger on March 15 (ides meant mid-month) is that a favorite in the NCAA basketball tournament will be upset, and we'll have to read the "Beware the Ides of March" headline.

For those interested in the soothsayer's words, here they are:

Soothsayer: Caesar!

CAESAR: Ha! who calls?

CASCA: Bid every noise be still: peace yet again!

CAESAR: Who is it in the press that calls on me?I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.